Automatic bank alarm switch



y 1940- s. c. MOUTRAYET AL 2,201,972

AUTOMATIC .BANK ALARM SWITCH Filed Aug. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Graver C. Maulra l Hal h J Penderjyrast May 21, 1940.

ca. c. MouTRAY El AL 2,201,972

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC BANK ALARM SWITCH Grover C. Moutray, Colorado Springs, and Ralph J. Pendergrast, Manitou Springs, 0010.

Application August 24, 1937, Serial No. 160,564

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to switch controlled alarms for bank vaults and the like and our object is to provide a switch of this class adapted to be operated by a swinging door. Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

This alarm switch is intended to be used and operated in association with the automatic daylight hold up protector invented by Grover C. Moutray, a joint inventor of this switch, and patented under Patent No. 1,773,351.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent front views of the switch without a cover plate; Fig. 4, a schematic drawing showing the switch in position on the door jamb of a bank vault and the electric circuit connected up with a control switch, a battery and a bell, the vault door being shut; and Fig. 5, a schematic drawing showing the vault door open and the circuit connected up with the control switch, battery and bell.

Although we show the preferred embodiment of our invention we do not thereby limit ourselves to the precise form shown but wish it understood that within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed, various. changes in the precise details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. p

Our device comprises a housing I, an insulation block 3, a pair of oscillating arms 4-5, a main terminal 6, a pair of contact terminals '|--8, a pair of binding posts 9|ll and a spring controlled plunger.

The housing is provided with holes l2 and is adapted to be secured to the door jamb I3 of the bank vault by screws or bolts 20 running through holes |2 into the jamb I3, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The oscillating arms 45 are pivotally mounted in a metalic block I 4 at |5-|6 respectively. A spring connects arms 4-5 and normally holds said arms in contact with terminals 'l8, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. A wire I8 runs from terminal 1 to binding post 9 and a wire l9 runs from terminal 8 to binding post 0.

The plunger is provided with a head portion 22, a spring holding portion 24 and a depending lug 25 and is slidably mounted in the housing I so that normally the head portion 22 extends outside the housing and the lug 25 is positioned between the arms 45. A compression spring 26 is disposed about the spring holding portion 24 between the head portion and the guide lug 21 in which the portion 24 is slidably mounted.

The night circuit shown in Fig. 4 is connected up as follows: A wire 30 from main terminal 6 to a bell terminal 3| of the bell 32; a wire 34 from (C1. ZOO-54) a bell terminal 35 to the battery 36; a wire 3'! from the battery 26 to a terminal 38 of the control switch 39; the switch arm 40 contacting the terminal 4|; a wire 42 from terminal 4| to binding post Hi, and wire Hi from binding post ID to terminal 8.

The day circuit shown in Fig. 5 is connected up as follows: The wire 30 from main terminal 6 to terminal 3| of the bell 32; wire 34 from ter-- minal 35 to the battery 36; wire 31 from the battery 38 to terminal 38 of the control switch 39; switch arm 40 to terminal 48 of the control switch; wire 43 from terminal 48 to binding post 9, and wire I8 from binding post 9 to terminal 1. It will be observed that the night and day circuits are the same up to the control switch 39.

A push piece 50 is mounted on the bank vault door 5| as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The push piece is bolted to said door by bolts 52 and is positioned so as to strike the head portion 22 of the plunger and force said plunger within the housing I, when the door is moved shut.

The spring 26 normally holds the plunger in the position shown in Fig. 1, but when the vault door 5| is shut the plunger is in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the vault door is shut for the night, the switch arm 48 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 4 so as to contact terminal 4|. This circuit is designated the night circuit. While the vault door is shut, the push piece 50 presses against the head portion 22 of the plunger and causes the lug 25 to hold arm 5 out of contact with the terminal 8. If the door 5| is now opened, the pressure against the plunger will be released and the spring 26 will force the head portion 22 outside the housing and thereby move lug 25 away from the arm 5 and permit the spring I! to pull arm 5 into contact with terminal 8, thereby closing the circuit and permitting the battery to ring the bell until the circuit is broken. If therefore, a robber attempts to open the vault door, the alarm is automatically sounded. The alarm bell is placed outside the vault in any desired location either in the building or in another building as for example, police headquarters.

In the morning when the banker desires to open the vault without sounding the alarm, he moves the switch arm 4|] out of contact with the terminals 4| and 48 so that the circuit will be incomplete even When the arms 4-5 contact terminals '|B. After the vault door is opened, the banker moves the switch arm 40 into contact with terminal 48 and thereby forms the day circuit. H now the door is shut, the push piece 50 forces the plunger inward of the housing and moves the lug away from arm permitting arm 4 to contact terminal I which completes the day circuit and sounds the alarm. If therefore, a bandit attempts to imprison the banker in the vault, the alarm will be automatically sounded.

When the previously mentioned automatic daylight hold up protector is used in association with our switch and alarm, the said protector catches the vault door when the lug 25 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, and since arms 45 in this position are in contact with terminals l8, respectively, the alarm sounds regardless of which circuit is in use at the time.

If the night circuit is in use, the banker may sound an alarm by moving arm 48 of the control switch 39 from terminal M to terminal 58. If the day circuit is in use he may sound an alarm by moving arm 40 to contact terminal 4!.

We contemplate using a pilot light in association with the control switch so that whenever the arm 40 is out of contact with both terminals Ill-58, the pilot light is on. This will test the system as to hook up and also remind the banker the alarm system is not connected up.

Having thus described our invention, What we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a bank alarm switch, the combination of a vertically disposed housing; an insulation block disposed in the lower portion of said housing; a metallic block mounted on the lower portion of said insulation block; a pair of oscillating arms pivotally connected to said metallic block and extending upward; a spring connecting said arms; a pair of contact terminals spaced from each other and mounted in the upper portion of said insulation block between said arms; a plunger siiclably mounted in the upper portion of said housing and provided with a depending lug disposed between said arms; and a wire running from each contact terminal.

GROVER C. MOUTRAY. RALPH J. PENDERGRAST. 

